The Toronto Raptors square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Air Canada Centre in the first game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 215 points with Toronto opening as a 7-point favorite.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors Free Prediction
In the Cavaliers’ last matchup, they beat the Indiana Pacers, 105-101. One of Cleveland’s largest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They made 40 trips to the line, while Indiana went just 24 times. Cleveland was lifted by LeBron James, who was the game’s high scorer with 45 points on 16-for-25 shooting.
The Raptors beat the Washington Wizards in their last matchup, 102-92. The Raptors had a ridiculously low turnover percentage of 5.7 (better than their season average of 11.8) and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 34.0 (above their season average of 22.8). Kyle Lowry led Toronto in scoring with 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
Toronto could have their way on the offensive side of the ball as their productive offense goes up against one of the worst defenses in the NBA. The Raptors currently rank third in offensive efficiency, while Cleveland ranks 29th in defensive efficiency.
Cleveland is 54-35 straight up (SU), but they are just 33-54-2 against the spread (ATS). Just over half of the Cavaliers’ games have finished under the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Toronto owns records of 63-25 SU and 48-40 ATS. Unlike Cleveland, Raptors games have finished over the total 51.1 percent of the time.
The Raptors are 7-13 with 12 unders and eight overs in the playoffs, while the Cavaliers are 13-8 ATS with 11 unders, nine overs and one push
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors Pick
Free Pick: SU Winner – Raptors, ATS Winner – Cavaliers, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Cleveland is 20-23-1 ATS on the road with 23 overs and 21 unders.
Toronto is 25-19 ATS at home with 22 overs and 22 unders.
When allowing less than 100 points, Cleveland is 18-5 and Toronto is 30-5.
When reaching the century mark, the Cavaliers are 51-18 and the Raptors are 57-16.
Toronto ranks second in three pointers allowed per game (24.8) while Cleveland ranks 28th (31.3).
The Raptors rank second in blocks per game (6.1) while the Cavaliers rank 27th (3.8).
Toronto ranks sixth in assists allowed per game (21.9) while Cleveland ranks 28th (25.5).
The Raptors average 48.6 points in the paint per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Cavaliers rank 21st in points allowed in the paint per game (47.0).
Toronto ranks 12th in second chance points per game (12.8) while Cleveland ranks 26th (11.0).
The Raptors rank 16th in rebounds per game (43.8) while the Cavaliers rank 25th (41.9).
Toronto averages 17.1 points off turnovers per game, which ranks eighth in the NBA. Cleveland ranks 16th in points off turnovers allowed per game (16.6).
The Raptors average 13.5 fast break points per game, which ranks eighth in the NBA. The Cavaliers rank 14th in fast break points allowed per game (11.7).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cleveland is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Toronto is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Cavaliers have been outscored by an average of 5.0 points in their last five games. For the season, Cleveland has defeated opponents by an average of 0.4 points.
During their last five games, the Raptors have scored an average of 108.2 points per game (3.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 107.4 points per game (3.3 above their season average).
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